News

The London Prime property market has always attracted more than its fair share of International property buyers, however a recent campaign pledge by the Russian President Vladimir Putin for the introduction of a ‘luxury tax’ which target Russians who have purchased property abroad and proposes to raise a tax on them has significantly increased the number of Russians clients looking to purchase property in the London Super-Prime Market.

Andy Smith of Private Client Property Agent 1st Asset said ‘ We have recently sold a number of significant high profile properties to Russian clients who are transferring their assets to the UK and purchasing their main residences within the UK to ensure that they avoid such a tax. Our Russian clients have traditionally purchased in locations such as Lowndes Square in Knightsbridge and Chester Square in Belgravia, primarily due to the excellent international schools and proximity to Hyde Park, although they are now looking further afield to broader Chelsea due to limited supply. 1st Asset have a number of high specification apartments and houses offering privacy and security, so if you are looking to invest in London this season, early viewing is recommended”.

1st Asset is a Luxury London Property Agent working on behalf of International Clients. We provide a discreet service to help you to buy, rent and sell your properties in London’s Super-Prime Postcodes. Whether you are a seasonal investor looking to expand your portfolio or looking for a ‘World Class home’ in London, 1st Asset’s private client team has a wealth of experience to enable you realise your ambitions .

NB Due to the nature of our work, many properties that are available are sold without ever advertising them, so if you’re looking for something special please call us now to see if we can help – 0207 014 3800.

As patrons of TRYON St Gallery, 1st Asset luxury property agent is pleased to announce the launch of their second group exhibition Meridian on Thursday 28th November. The exhibition includes works by artists Mat Chivers, Gregory Michael Hernandez, Matthew Picton, Stefana McClure, Susan Stockwell and Alison Turnbull.

Meridian explores the ways in which humans have long been fixated on recording their position in the world. Complex maps, charts and plans have been used to document the physicality of land, water and air as well as to record social hierarchy and genetics. This medium of apparent empiricism has been used to shape a nation's image of itself, to coerce, propagandise, distort and create new truths in the service of political motivation. Ordered information is used to communicate meaning, motivation and sometimes to create chaos. The artists consider these themes in their work as well as exploring the aesthetic qualities of empirical information.

The artists included in Meridian have previously exhibited at the Royal Academy of the Arts, Tate Modern, National Museum of China – Beijing, the Venice Biennale 2013 and 2011, and Katona Museum of Art – New York. Their work is held in permanent collections around the world, including MOMA, Fitzwilliam Museum – Cambridge, Fogg Art Museum – Massachusetts and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

TRYON St Gallery is based beneath our office, where we also hold a number of private networking events and local residents interested in the super-prime property market.

1st Asset is delighted to welcome Anna Harnden as the new director of Tryon St Gallery, which we sponsor as part of our arts-patronage program.

The inaugural exhibition ‘Heritage Reinvented’ will take place in October 2013, presenting the extraordinary work of renowned artists from across the world: Brett Graham, Tom Hunter, Ali Kazim, Oscar Santillan and Meekyoung Shin.

Anna Harnden, former British Museum curator, aims to bring together artists from different artistic and cultural backgrounds in order to create new dialogues concerning heritage and contemporary.

Watch this space for further information about exhibitions and networking events held at Tryon St Gallery.

*Image: Installation shot from Meekyoung Shin's exhibition of soap vases at the Korea National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Shin will feature in Tryon St's inaugural exhibition.

1 S T A S S E T were thrilled to win Silver in 'Prestige Lettings' in their first ever entry to the prestigious Sunday Times Letting Agent of the Year awards. Congratulations to all the team for their hard work

The event was designed to provide an opportunity for clients and contacts to network with each other as well as to enjoy the premium Christmas wine selection provided by Haynes Hanson & Clark.

The evening was also an opportunity to raise money for the DEC Philippines typhoon appeal.

As patrons of Tryon St Gallery, 1st Asset holds a number of private networking events and art exhibitions in the gallery beneath our office for clients and local residents interested in the super-prime property market – watch this space for further information!

1st Asset announced that Aferdita Bytyci has been appointed head of its Mayfair Private Clients team.

Ms. Bytyci, who was previously a senior negotiator in the Park Lane office for Foxtons, will focus on increasing 1st Asset’s footprint in the region and build on the strength of the firm's franchise in the Middle East. Based in Chelsea, she will report to Andy Smith, head of 1st Asset Private Client team.

'I am delighted that Aferdita will be leading our efforts in the Mayfair,' Mr. Smith said. 'She was been an integral member of the highest performing Foxtons team in Park Lane, during 2007-2012. Afterdita was the top performing Negotiator across the entire company for 2 years running, notching up over £1m in revenue 3 year in the years 2009,2010 & 2011 .'

Ms. Bytyci will primarily concentrate on advising and cultivating relationships with our private clients in the Mayfair, with a particular focus on off market properties.

‘This appointment emphasizes 1st Asset’s commitment to expanding its Private Clients Estate Agency business in the Super Prime Areas of London and the superior service we offer our ultra-high net worth clients around the world.' Mr. Smith commented

She holds a bachelor's degree in Money, Banking and Finance from Middlesex University.

Last night 1st Asset team was delighted to support the Britain Club Commons Drinks Reception, which took place at the Tryon Street gallery beneath our office. Anna Harnden, the gallery director and former British museum curator, was the host of the evening and opened the event with an inspiring speech that blended arts with politics.

Organised by Jeremy Bradshaw, who is the Director of the company Argo Capital Management, the event was attended by just over 100 people, including members of the Britain Club, bankers and important individuals involved with politicians.

The highlight of the evening was the guest speaker Andy Bell, the news political editor of Chanel 5, who expanded the topic ‘Who will win the 2015 General Election?’ and generated hot debates amongst the guests. The party ambience encouraged the guests who were actively interacting and putting forward their opinions on the matter. Andy Bell is famous for asking burning questions to all the big British political players who he interviews. He has been working for Channel 5 for more than 10 years and his previous job was at the BBC.

1st Asset holds a number of exclusive events and art exhibitions in the gallery space beneath our office – watch this space for more information.

1st Asset is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Bosse and Baum, curator of contemporary art exhibitions. We will be co-hosting a series of exhibitions at our new Gallry space beneath the office st 7-9 Tryon Street. Watch this space for more information!

After a lovely and enjoyable summer break, it is time for children to go back to school.

As London’s premium luxury property agent we’ve had a busy August helping international parents buy and rent luxury properties in the area, in readiness for relocation close to their children’s schools.

The exciting news is that in the autumn we will be showcasing art projects in partnership with a number of the excellent Chelsea and Knightsbridge Preparatory schools – what this space for more information...

In celebration of the Chelsea Flower Show Bosse & Baum’s Spring exhibition features the work of several contemporary artists, including Constanza Dessain and Jessie Makinson.

Prize-winning artist Constanza has just completed a residency at the Laundry Studios, Dumfries House, newly established by HRH Prince Charles, and now teaches at the National Gallery. Jessie, who won the Chairman’s prize at the Princes Drawing School in 2012, has exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy show and various galleries in London, including an upcoming show at Flowers Gallery on Cork Street.

1st Asset is a patron of the arts, hosting a series of contemporary exhibitions in the gallery space beneath their Tryon St offices.

1st Asset were delighted to meet to local Conservatives at their summer party last night. Speaker Fraser Nelson (editor of the Spectator) held forth on the state of the nation, and the wine flowed freely..

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced a significant stamp duty expansion for those buying residential properties via a company. Previously set for properties sold over £2 million, from midnight tonight, the newly lowered threshold of £500,000 will mean almost every residential property purchased through a ‘corporate envelope’ in super prime London will be liable for the 15% levy.

1 S T A S S E T recognise the significant benefit non-residents who buy property in the UK bring to the economy, as well as the confidentiality which purchasing through a company can offer.

For discreet advice about the most tax-efficient way to purchase property in super prime London, please contact 1st Asset on 020 7014 3800 or at info@1stasset.co.uk.

1 S T A S S E T is an independent luxury property agent specialising in on- and off-market sales and rentals in the super prime London areas of Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair.

A fabulous evening was had by 1 S T A S S E T and their invited guests at the annual Elizabeth Street Party on Wednesday, 11 June in Belgravia. It was great to catch up with so many clients over a glass of Champagne in our private enclosure. As proud sponsors of the event, 1 S T A S S E T were delighted to hear that over £40,000 has been raised for the Belgravia Traders’ Association’s chosen charity of Fight for Sight.

In addition to having exclusive access to the latest luxury Spring/Summer collections from London Fashion Week, guests were treated to a catwalk show and accompanying trend talk by the very engaging Anna Ogundehin, Communications Director at Browns and former Fashion Executive at Elle.

The event was a great success and 1st Asset would like to extend our gratitude to all of the Browns staff who were on hand to offer their expertise to our stylish clients.

1st Asset is a specialist boutique property agent selling and renting the most luxurious real estate on behalf of private clients in London’s Super-prime postcodes of Chelsea, Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Kensington.

Westminster is the most expensive location for house prices according to the February 2013 House Price Index. The trend is driven primarily through prices in the superprime postcode SW1W. London as a whole outperforms the market with a 0.7% month-on-month price increase.

1st Asset have a number of off-market properties in SW1W available for investment purchasors - call 0207 0143800 and ask to speak to Andy for more information.

Nationwide reports that buyers need to budget for a £26,000 premium for a property 500m from nearest station, compared with a similar property 1,500m from a station, with the Circle Line commanding the largest premium.

The 1st Asset networking events series continues with a fabulous Fourth of July drinks party for our American friends, colleagues and partners, hosted in in the spacious not-for-profit art gallery beneath our Chelsea offices.

Previous events have attracted 50+ attendees and we already have acceptances from several dozen of London's most amusing, interesting and achieving Americans.

We'll be cracking open the Californian white at 6.30pm so if you're interested in receiving an invitation, please do email celine.oconnor@1stasset.co.uk and we'll look forward to meeting you on the night.

In March, 1 S T A S S E T organised an Easter themed art competition for the pupils of Garden House Preparatory School in Chelsea. The colourful creations were then displayed in the gallery below

1 S T A S S E T’s offices on Tryon Street with a special viewing reception held for all parents and pupils. We were very impressed at the standard of entries and would like to thank those at Garden House School who helped make it all possible.

1 S T A S S E T is a luxury property agent specialising in the off and on market sale and rental of property in Super Prime London. For a free, no obligation valuation, please do not hesitate to contact our sales or lettings teams at your convenience.

Congratulations to Hill House on the fantastic art contributed by their junior school pupils as part of the current botanicals exhibition. Parents - we'd be delighted to see you at the gallery 10am - 5pm Mon-Fri to admire your child's art.

We would like to welcome Hedie Yeganeh to our team as she joins 1st Asset as our Head of Prime Lettings.

Hedie brings with her 9 years of wealth knowledge and experience in the property industry, particularly in Central London. She specialises in high end properties for International and Domestic clients. Keen to expand the business, Hedie is passionate about delivering exceptional customer service to all her clients.

Hedie is originally from Iran but she grew up in Sweden and then moved to California USA, where she lived for one year. From 2008 until 2010 she worked in Dubai assisting Middle Eastern clients with their property portfolio. She was previously branch lettings manager at Faron Sutaria in Chelsea, which was a Countrywide award winning office.

The Land Registry July data for London, published this week, shows a monthly increase of 2.1% cent and an annual change of 6.3%, which is significantly higher than other regions. The average property price in the capital is £385,799 in comparison with the average for England and Wales of £164,098.

The report also shows that the number of properties sold in London for over £1 million in May 2013 increased by 24% to 508 from 411 in May 2012.

1st Asset has an extensive residential property portfolio in the most desirable areas of London and our knowledgeable and multilingual professionals are always prepared to assist clients through the purchasing process of their home or investment in the capital.

London property “is 8% cheaper than it was six years ago” for Chinese buyers thanks to the strength of the Renminbi, according to a report out today. Looks like the Year of the Horse could be a great year for the property industry!

The continuing strength of the superprime market in London helped to accelerate annual house price growth in England and Wales in August to 8.4%; the highest rate of increase since the recession.

With August breaking with tradition of being a quiet time of year for property sales, it is expected that September and October growth in the capital's prime housing market will continue to rise at breakneck speeds.

1st Asset is an award-winning luxury property agent working on behalf of private clients in the superprime areas of Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Kensington, Belgravia and Mayfair. If you are considering selling your property or would like further expert advice, please do not hesitate to contact us for a confidential discussion.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, based on mortgage completions, said that average property prices in London increased by 12% compared with 5.5% for the whole of the UK in the year to the end of October.

The English capital has once again topped the rankings of luxury property markets according to Christie’s International (Real Estate) annual report into the luxury residential property market. Focusing on the effects of fluctuations in the international economy and global wealth flows on luxury property markets in 2013, the report uses key metrics including prices per square foot, average house price growth, growth in the number of luxury property sales and listings relative to population as well as exploring buying behaviours and demographics of those purchasing top-end real estate to rank ten high-performing superprime markets throughout the world.

London topped the Index with the highest record home sales price per cities investigated at $105.5 million, a figure significantly greater than the second highest found in Hong Kong at $83.8 million. The city was also home to the highest square foot prices - averaging $4,683 last year. Luxury property sales in the capital have also increased by 20% over the past year meaning the the number of luxury property sales recorded is the highest since the pre-crash peak in 2006. Significant and notable growth in high priced transactions was also recorded.

The city’s luxury housing market growth is due in part to London’s reputation as a stable and transparent market as well as its ability to be a truly cosmopolitan city offering one of the world’s great lifestyles. Although the percentage of local and domestic buyers still outnumbered international purchasers, it was the latter who fuelled much of the activity at the top end of the market. In particular, second home buyers accountred for 48% of buyers in London - attributed to a surge in high-net-worth individuals seeking to invest in trophy assets in stable and currency-favourable locations.

1st Asset is a luxury property agent working in superprime London, specialising in off-market sales and rentals in the superprime areas of Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair. With superb market knowledge and an open and client-focussed approach to buying, selling, renting or letting, we can help you navigate the luxury London property market and give you the edge thus increasing your chances of success in this fiercely competitive market. For further information, please contact our team on 02070143800 or by emailing info@1stasset.co.uk.

Foreign buyers - Singaporeans in particular - are dramatically reshaping the UK capital’s market according to an article in the Financial Times. London's ongoing appeal as a safe cosmopolitan city, strong reputation for professional conveyancing and, more recently, the relative strength of the Singaporean dollar against the pound have enticed thousands of Singaporean investors, from the super rich to the middle class, to enter into London’s luxury property market in the past three years. Whether purchasing as a second home, rental investment or for children aspiring to study at London’s universities, property in London’s super prime areas is of particular appeal to Singaporean buyers and this increased demand together with a short supply has helped push up the average London house price by more than 11% in a year.

1st Asset has had recent notable success of selling to Asian investors and always welcome suitable stock. If you are currently selling or thinking of selling your London property, please do not hesitate to contact our sales team for an informal discussion.

If you are from Singapore and are looking to buy in London, 1st Asset has the expertise to help you successfully navigate the central and luxury London property markets, from finding the right property for the best price to guiding you through the buying process. We are also well positioned to ensure you receive the very best return on your investment and offer a comprehensive and professional lettings and resale service. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

New research indicates that Middle Eastern buyers are now overtaking Far Eastern buyers as London's main off-plan and new-build investors. 1st Asset are delighted to offer buyers property advice in Farsi as well as 12 other languages.

We have now moved into our new premises in Tryon Street, just a stones throw from the Kings Road. Do pop by and say hello if you're in the area, and admire our excellent new gallery where we will be hosting a series of fabulous social events in 2013.

Last week 1st Asset luxury property agent was pleased to support the launch of the new TRYON St gallery, with their inaugural exhibition Heritage Reinvented, as part of our arts patronage programme.

The event was attended by artists Tom Hunter, Ali Kazim and Meekyoung Shin, whose works feature in the exhibition as well as 4th plinth nominee Lilian Lijn and Korean artist Yun Kyung. Curators from the British Museum, Chelsea's National Army Museum, Soane Museum and National Trust were joined by collectors, journalists and Contemporary Art Society patrons. 1st Asset team were also delighted to welcome renowned Chinese chef and musician Guo Yue our neighbours, clients and friends to the event.

The show is the UK debut of Maori sculptor Brett Graham and Ecuadorian artist Oscar Santillan. It also features work by British photographer Tom Hunter, Pakistani painter Ali Kazim, and Korean sculptor Meekyoung Shin.

You welcome to visit the exhibition Mon - Sat, 10 - 6pm from now until the 22nd November.

Party Time in London this Bank Holiday weekend as the traditional Notting Hill Carnival presents music, dance, feathers, colours and lots of fun.

The Notting Hill Carnival was first held in 1966 to represent the Caribbean culture and since then the number of people attending has impressively grown. It is now considered Europe’s largest festival of its kind; the roads of Notting Hill will be filled with over 2 million people bringing a spirit of diversity to the traditional celebration.

Attendees can expect an explosion of colours and cultures as well as the vibrant sounds of original bands and an extensive variety of delicious street food. The Carnival will start around 9am on Sunday 25th August and finish on Monday 26th of August around 7pm.

Parto Dehlavi was born in Iran in 1958. Her work looks to aggregate colour and light as central materials. She tries to grasp the essence of the world around us by combining the delicacy and reﬁnement of Persian culture with the rigor of geometric shapes.

On March 27th 2013, she launched her first exhibition in London courtesy of 1st Asset and their Tyron St Gallery, “Sehr e Sahar”, which in Persian mythology refers to spiritual enlightenment. In this exhibition, she uses for the ﬁrst time blacklight to underline the subtle essence of that which is exposed.

The exhibition is open until Friday 5th April and all works of art are available for purchase.

International purchasers are still showing an insatiable appetite for the London property market according to latest reports, despite a surge in UK housing prices. Recently released figures from the Office of National Statistics show housing values in England rose in the last year by 9.7%, driven predominantly by rises in London of 17.7%- meaning that property prices in England have soared to past their pre-financial crisis peak of January 2008. This dramatic increase however has not deterred overseas investors who continue to target the superprime London market, viewing it as a safe-haven for their money due primarily to its low level of volatility and relative independence from the domestic market. Since prices in prime Central London are set by supply [or lack of], as well high demand from international buyers, market experts are declaring price rises of up to 30% annually, meaning London’s appeal to the international purchaser continues to grow.

If you are looking to sell, 1 S T A S S E T can help you take advantage of this buoyant market to achieve the best price possible for your prime Central London property. For further information or to arrange a free, no obligation valuation, please do not hesitate to contact 1 S T A S S E T’s sales team today.

If you are looking to buy in superprime London, 1 S T A S S E T have a great selection of luxury on and off market properties, as well as the expertise to guide you through the buying process from viewings to conveyancing to move in. To find the London superprime property truly suited to your needs, please contact 1 S T A S S E T at your convenience. Our international team are conversant in several languages including French and Farsi and are delighted to help the international purchaser navigate the superprime property market discreetly and knowledgeably.

1st Asset’s May networking evening was a runaway success, with an eclectic mix of senior private bankers, private clients and celebrities – including Bafta-winning Game of Thrones actor James Cosmo and renowned photographer Christopher Bissell.

The evening kicked off at 6pm with a champagne reception, followed by several riotous hours of shared stories and new alliances. With around fifty guests on the evening, we were soon spilling outside to 1st Asset summer terrace to enjoy one of the first warm evenings of early summer.

The June event is scheduled for 4th June, and will play host to professionals in the field of residential investment, including super-prime developers, specialist financiers, award winning architects and private-client conveyencers. Please contact us at info@1stasset.co.uk to request an invitation.

The entrepreneurs networking reception held at Tryon Street Gallery on Thursday 5th September was a success! We had approximately 35 exclusive guests involved in different types of industry: property, media, architecture, bank and investment. That was a great opportunity to make business contacts while enjoying glasses of champagne and admiring delicate pencil drawings representing Ross Jones views about current political issues. 1st Asset holds a number of private events and art exhibitions in the gallery beneath our office - watch this space for further information!

1st Asset enjoyed a buzzing Tuesday evening at their Tryon Street office following following a private view of the exhibition of British artist and former cancer physician, Sir Michael Peckham. The viewing was a hit and many of works of art were sold. The exhibition, entitled “Philomena Theme” is concerned with recuperating forms and events buried beneath the surface: a central pre-occupation for artists as for physicians and scientists.

The exhibition continues until 20th April and 1st Asset welcomes any visitors to the gallery between the hours of 10am – 6pm. All remaining works of art are available for purchase.

With house prices now firmly on the rise in London, the average house price for property in superprime London is expected to exceed £2,000,000 come the end of 2015, an increase of over 33% or more than £9,000 per week. Demand for property in superprime London has soared since last year and with 25% fewer properties being put up for sale, buyers are prepared to pay top-end prices in order to secure homes in the superprime boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

At 1 S T A S S E T, we have a number of retained clients urgently seeking property in superprime London. Should you be interested in selling, please call our sales team for an informal discussion and/or to arrange a no obligation valuation.

1 S T A S S E T is a luxury property agency working on behalf of private clients in Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia and Mayfair.

A great evening was had by all at the 1st Asset Superprime residential development networking evening where London's premium legal teams, investors and developers joined 1st Asset for champagne and nibbles.

Although waiting to receive Royal Assent, the charge would mean companies which owned properties valued at £2 million or more on 1st April 2012, or subsequently, will be liable for the charge, ranging from £15,000 to £140,000 per year.

Taking into account the various exemptions that apply, the Government estimate that the new tax (along with the 15% SDLT rate and CGT extension) will generate around £70 million in 2013/14.

Smart UK and international property investors are keeping their eyes on the residential property market in London as the current housing shortfall is likely to result in significantly house prices increase over the next few years.

With the broadest super-prime residential market and a private rented sector strong and consistent, London has always been a safe haven for property investors. However, property market analysts fear that fast-rising house prices driven by international investment might cause a housing bubble in the capital.

The demand for luxury properties in London’s super-prime postcodes of Chelsea, Belgravia, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Kensington is constantly increasing; hence developers are focused in building high-end properties instead of affordable houses.

1st Asset is an award-winning property agent with expertise in selling and renting the most luxurious real estate in Central London on behalf of UK and international high-net-worth private clients. Our experienced team are always up-to-date with the market trends and property prices; therefore they can assist you if you wish to purchase a property at this favourable time for property investment in London.

1st Asset are delighted to welcome Bosse & Baum's graduate show to the space. The current exhibition features graduate work from the major London art school final shows - Chelsea, RCA, Central St. Martins.

1st Asset luxury property agent is pleased to announce its support of Platform, a programme of changing solo presentations of outdoor sculpture, curated by TRYON St Gallery, in the courtyard space at the front of our Tryon Street office.

Platform was launched on Wednesday 6th November with a new work commissioned for the space by Martin Fletcher - Systems House: 'New Reflector Tower' made from stainless Steel, aluminium, concrete, reflective tape & industrial paint.

The artist works under a pseudonym ‘Systems House’ that seems more fitting for a vast faceless corporation than a single artist. At once ambiguous and yet inherently powerful and authoritative, Fletcher’s alias prepares us for his sculptures, which echo this sentiment. Standing sleek and endlessly refined, Fletcher’s works are evocative of broadcasting and surveillance technology and appear simultaneously functional and fantastical. In a world where technology is becoming smaller and more hidden, Fletcher’s dominant structures speak of out-dated futurism, transported from a time when technology was considered extraordinary rather than commonplace. The highly finished aesthetic of Fletcher’s works imitates mass factory production, belying the intensive artistic process with which he creates each work. His sculptures seem to both venerate technological innovation and forewarn a Sci-Fi dystopia.

The sculpture will be on display until late February when the programme will then display its next work on a rolling schedule anticipating 4 - 6 sculptures per year. We hope the variety and changing display will provide enjoyment for local residents and visitors alike.

For further information on the sculpture, pricing, or the Platform programme please contact the TRYON St gallery team on mail@tryonst.co.uk.

Tryon St Gallery welcomes Ross Jones and his stunning solo show of delicate pencil drawings depicting stripped-down versions of current political issues, IED for example portraying the unassembled components of an explosive device. Passive but potent.

During a visit to China this week, George Osborne has announced that visa applications by high net worth Chinese businessmen and tourist are to be fast-tracked and from next summer next year a new 24 hour ‘super priority’ visa service will be put in place. Moreover, selected Chinese travel agents will be able to apply for UK visas by submitting just the visa form for entry to the EU’s Schengen area.

The consistent strength of the private rented sector combined with an exceptional track record for capital growth, have made London one of the most sought-after property markets for international investors, particularly for Asians. Last month, Chinese insurance funds of over US$14 billion released for overseas real estate investment, has increased the thought of a London property market even sturdier.

In a capital considered to be a safe haven for overseas investors, foreign money is definitely dominant. A recent market research has shown that investment in London by UK and international buyers reached £4.7 billion worth transactions during the third quarter of 2013, the strongest period since 2007. It also reveals that international investment plays a major part in the market and the combined purchases from Asian investors represent the 2nd highest market share percentage, totalling 22%.

Although Far East buyers are becoming very knowledgeable in the property market, it is always important to be aware of mischievous marketing strategies of companies selling unseen properties to investors abroad. This scenario applied to many investors who couldn’t face the strict UK immigration rules and were forced to make purchases without seeing properties, relying in the information provided by companies based in London. The use of pictures such as Big Ben, Harrods or Buckingham Palace in sales particulars give the impression that those properties are centrally located, when the details of exact locations are usually omitted. Hence the importance of purchasing a property from a company that you know and trust.

Andy Smith, Founding Director of 1st Asset said, “With nine different languages spoken in–house 1st Asset have always been well placed to look after London’s international buyers, and now that we’re working in partnership with China’s leading property portal SINA our Chinese buyers can browse our luxury property selection in Mandarin. We look forward to welcoming them to London”

1st Asset is an award-winning luxury property agent working on behalf of UK and International high net worth private clients who are looking to sell or rent their properties in London. We provide a bespoke service and our clients also benefit from a worldwide marketing strategy. Our property portfolio is also advertised on the Chinese portal SINA.

We are delighted to announce that Gisella Rappa has recently joined 1st Asset Lettings Department as a Senior Negotiator. She will be responsible for assisting UK and International clients to find luxury properties to rent in London superprime postcodes.

Bringing together 7 years of experience in the property industry in Italy and London, Gisella has specialised in the Lettings market.

Originally from Sicily, Gisella speaks fluent Italian as well as English and she has previously worked for Barnard Marcus in West Kensington, where she interacted with clients and tenants at all levels and nationalities. Having worked in a large company for the past 5 years, she has strongly developed her property valuation and negotiation skills.

1st Asset's in-house team are conversant in French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Arabic, Farsi, Armenian, Albanian, Serbo-Croat, Greek and Portuguese: now we can add Italian to this list!